News in Pictures

Traders rejoice as Edo enforces ‘Clean-Up’ Project

Residents and traders in Benin City have lauded Governor Godwin Obaseki as the state commenced the enforcement of the Edo Clean-up Project by clearing the major streets around King’s Square to restore law and order and ensure free flow of traffic for vehicular and human movement.

A trader, who was simply identified as Mrs. Gloria, commended the governor for what she described as a good job, while also calling on him to reduce the price of renting stores in the market, especially as they were ready to comply with the government’s policies on cleaning Edo.

Another trader, Henry Okere, praised the courage and determination of the government to keep the state clean, adding that the youths were behind Gobernor Obaseki.

For Ezuwa Festus, he said the intension of the government was genuine, saying it should be extended to other markets in the state to ensure law and other was restored.

It would be recalled that the state government had earlier called several meetings with traders, landlords, shop owners market leaders and stakeholders on the modalities to be employed to clear traders from walkways and the streets around the King square to ease traffic around the area in accordance with the policy of the Edo Clean-Up Project.

On the implementation of the exercise, the Secretary to Edo State Government (SSG) Barr. Osarodion Ogie said the Godwin Obaseki-led administration would sustain the cleanup of Edo state to restore sanity, law and order.

He said the task to clean up the State was germane to his administration’s resolve to ensure Edo State was one of the cleanest in the country, adding that street and walkway trading had become a major concern for the state government.

As a result of this, he continued, major markets in the state were devoid of traders while many stores in the markets are empty.

“As I speak with you, Edo State government has engaged four contractors to clean up Oba market, fix steel doors in the market to replace all the wooden doors to prevent fire. The government has also had discussion with Benin Electricity Distribution Company of Nigeria (BEDC) to ensure steady power supply in the market.

“The traffic around Ring road is unacceptable to this government, the menace has been on for over ten years but this government is determined to fix it”, he said.